Bowler&#39;s protective thumb ring



July 31, 1962 A. J. MARINESE ETAL 3,046,561

BOWLER'S PROTECTIVE THUMB RING 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 I INVENTORSAnfhogyiflfarmes' (1601 A. OddO,

Filed Jan. 15, 1960 July 31, 1962 A. J. MARINESE ETAL BOWLER'SPROTECTIVE THUMB RING 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Jan. 15, 1960 INV ENTOR$jjfczrmasa Oddo,

Ambwy 61 Carl A United States Patent Ofifrce Patented July 31 19623,046,561 BOWLERS PROTECTIVE THUMB RING Anthony J. Marinese, Buffalo,N.Y. (505 Maple View Road, Cheektowaga 25, N.Y.), and Carl A. Oddo,Buifalo, N.Y. (58 Cloverdale Road, Cheektowaga 25,

Filed Jan. 15, 1960, Ser. No. 2,664 3 Claims. (Cl. 2-21) Bowling or tenpin balls are gripped by the thumb and by one or two fingers and areaccordingly provided with openings which extend substantially radially,these openings of course being in convenging relation. In the control ofthe ball, for example as when throwing a hook, aiming for the pocke orregulating the throw for a particular kind of spare, an important factoris the pressure exercised by the thumb, the opposed finger pressurebeing intended to be sufiicient merely to prevent the ball from slippingfrom the hand.

in the course of an evening devoted to bowling, due to the musculareffort imposed upon the thumb in the control of the ball and thenecessity for the free release of the ball with minimum frictionalpressure or drag of the thumb and fingers upon the walls of the openingsat the moment of release, the thumb becomes swollen to some extent andtherefore does not have its suitable fit in the thumb opening and alsobecomes subject to considerable abrasion and soreness, all of which, inaddition to and in connection with the discomfort, adversely aifects theaccuracy of play. As these conditions develop progressively there is areflex tendency on the part of the player to relieve to some extent thepressure of the thumb and to transfer some of the controlling pressureto the finger or fingers with the result that these also tend to swelland become sore and abraded.

These objectionable conditions are well known among bowlers and haveobtained throughout the period in which the game has been played. Inorder to overcome or minimize them various modifications of the thumband finger openings have been proposed, these in general taking the formof cushioning insents permanently fitted in the openings. Theconstructions proposed have not been altogether satisfactory for theirintended purposes and moreover greatly increase the cost of manufactureof the bowling ball with added increase in the maintenance of service inthe bowling alleys where a large number of balls are required, varyingin weight, in the diameters of the thumb and finger openings and in therelation of the Openings to one another, in order that a ball may beselected which best measures up to the span of the hand and therequirement for the proper fit of the thumb and fingers in the openings.

We have found, empirically, that the objectionable conditions abovepointed out may be relieved by means of a device which may be fittedupon the thumb, carried independently of the bowling ball upon theperson of the individual, will be responsive to adequate thumb pressurein the control of the bowling ball, will enable the release of thebowling ball without frictional drag, will at all times have anappropriate fit in the thurnbopening, and will impose no added reflexburden upon the finger or fingers.

This invention relates to a thumb carried thumb protector and thumbactuated gripping device for use with standard bowling balls.

Its objects are, with optimum economy, to provide for adequate controlof the bowling ball and for its free release while at all timesprotecting the thumb against swelling, soreness and abrasion.

The device of the invention in the embodiments herein shown includes anouter member of circular crossappropriate metal.

diametrically to have an accurate, yet free and easy, fit' in the thumbopening, is shaped and proportioned longitudinally to conform to theoutline of the thumb and to accommodate the extension of the knuckle ofthe thumb as the thumb is bent in the exercise of pressure upon the wallof the thumbopening, and an inner member of yieldable resilientcushioning material, such as foam rubher, which is of circularcross-section. As herein shown the inner member is cemented to the outermember, conforms to its longitudinal outline and projects with thumbprotecting eifect, beyond the upper and lower edges of the outer member.For brevity and convenience the device may be called a bowlersprotective thumb ring.

In the drawings: g 7

FIGURE 1 is a fragmenatry section of a bowling ball in a planecoincident with the longitudinal axes of the thumb and the fingeropenings, this finger showing a bowlers hand in elevation with a fingerand thumb projecting into the respective finger and thumb openings andalso showing in elevation the protective thumb ring fitted upon thethumb.

FIGURE 2 is an elevation of the thumb ring viewed from the side thereoffrom which the knuckle projects.

FIGURE 3 is a horizontal sectional view on the line 3-3 of FIGURE 2. 7

FIGURE 4 is a longitudinal sectional view on the line 44 of FIGURE 2.

FIGURE 5 is an elevation of the blank from which the inneryieldablernember is formed.

FIGURE 6 is an elevation similar to FIGURE 2 and showing an alternativeconstruction.

FIGURE 7 is a longitudinal sectional view on the line 7-7 of FIGURE 6.

FIGURE 8 is a horizontal sectional view on the line 88 of FIGURE 6.

FIGURE 9 is a longitudinal sectional view of the outer member of thedevice in the form shown in FIGURE 6.

Referring/to FIGURES l to 5:

The bowling ball B is formed with a thumb opening T and a finger openingF, some balls having one finger opening and others having two. Ingripping and controlling the ball the thumband fingers are inserted inthese openings as shown in FIGURE 1.

The device includes an outer member 1 of circular crosssection and whichin this particular form is of substantially rigid material such as asuitable plastic oran The member 1 in the longitudinal direction isshaped to conform to the outline of the thumb and has a wall part 2overlying the inner side of the thumb and having a longitudinal extentsubstantially conforming to the length of the thumb and an opposedshorter wall part 3 which overliestthe outer side of the thumb. Thelower end of the wall part 3 terminates above the knuckle of the thumband substantially above the lower end of the wall part 2 with the resultof an open clearance 4 into which the knuckle of the thumb extends andwhich enables the bending. of the thumb. with. the knuckle free fromcontact with the wall of the opening T. The member 1 along its upperedge is shaped to conform to the joint between the thumb and the handand in this shaping, with the thumb inserted into the opening T,therwall part 3 projects well beyond the opening and the wall part 2terminates at the face of the ball B. The lower edge of the member 1 ofcourse extends obliquely from the wall part 2 to the Wall part 3 and ispreferably of ogee curvature as shown at 5 in FIGURE 1. The upper edgeof the member "1 also extends obliquely from the wall part 2 to the wallpart 3 and is similarly and preferably of ogee curvature as shown at 6in FIGURE 1.

The device also includes an inner member 7 composed of resilientcushioning material such as foam rubber and which conforms in shape anddimensions to the member 1. The blank for the member 7 is shown inFIGURE 5 and is fashioned into circular cross-section and fittedconformably within the member 1 to which it is secured by any suitablecement. The member 7 is of greater longitudinal extent than the member 1whereby it has a thumb protecting portion 7a of annular section whichprojects suitably beyond the upper edge of the member 1 with its edgeconforming in outline to the upper edge of the member 1 and a thumbprotecting portion 7b of curved section which similarly projects beyondand conforms in outline to the lower edge of the member 1.

In annular section and longitudinal extent the devices are made in sizesfrom which a selection may be made which will conform to the thumb ofthe particular individual. Diametrically the member 1 will be somewhatless in dimension than the diameter of the thumb opening T in order thatas fitted upon the thumb it may be freely inserted into and removed fromthe opening T.

In effecting the control of the ball pressure is applied by the thumbdirectly against the member 7 which protects the thumb by serving as acushion and the wall portion 2 of the member 1 is thereby pressedagainst the adjacent wall portion of the thumb opening T with such forceas will enable the player effectively to control the ball. At the momentof release of the ball the thumb pressure is withdrawn and the member 1,because of its smaller diametrical dimension, is then freely removed bythe thumb from the opening T with no appreciable frictional resistanceby the wall of the opening.

It will be manifest that the thumb at all times is protected againstswelling, abrasion and soreness. The portions 7a and 7b and the member 7protect the thumb from sharp edge contact with the lower and upper edgesof the member 1. The bearing of the member 7 upon the back of the thumbdirectly above the knuckle insures that the ring cannot be stripped fromthe thumb when the ball is released. Because the thumb is thus at alltimes protected there will be no reflex tendency to use the fingers inthe control of the ball or otherwise than to prevent the ball fromslipping from the hand.

Referring to FIGURES 6 to 9:

These figures show an alternative form in which the outer member, heredesignated 1a, instead of being of substantially rigid material iscomposed of somewhat yieldable solid material, e.g. suitably vulcanizedrubber, which has the advantage of optimumly effective frictionalengagement with the wall of the thumb opening. In order to prevent itsdeformation by the thumb the outer member 1a is pre-formed in itsportion of annular section with an annular groove 8 to accommodate abinding ring 9 of any suitable rigid material, e.g. metal, the outerface of which is substantially flush with the outer face of the member1a. In other respects the form shown in FIGURES 6 to 9 is similar to theform shown in FIG- URES 1 to 5.

In both constructions the thumb ring as an entirety is of circularcross-section dimensioned to have an accurate and secure fit upon thethumb and is characterized by l) a longer wall part substantiallyconforming to the length of the thumb and to overlie its inner side,this part being adapted for frictional engagement under the pressure ofthe thumb with the wall of the thumb opening,

(2) a shorter wall part in opposed relation to the longer wall part tooverlie the outer side of the thumb above the knuckle, (3) its internalresilience and yieldability, thereby to serve to cushion the thumb, and(4) the open clearance due to the relation between the longer andshorter wall parts, the clearance accommodating the knuckle and enablingthe thumb to be bent in its application of pressure by means of thelonger wall part to the wall of the thumb opening.

Words indicative of location in the foregoing description and in theclaims, namely, upper, lower, above," and below, are based upon theposition of the thumb ring as shown in FIGURE 1.

We claim:

1. A bowlers protective thumb ring to fit upon the thumb and comprisingan outer member of generally cylindrical configuration and of stableform having a relatively long semicircular wall section of a length tooverlie the inner side of the thumb for substantially its full lengthand longitudinally curved to conform to the curvature of the thumb and adiametrically opposed semicircular short wall section to overlie theouter side of the thumb above the knuckle and an inner member composedof resilient cushioning material conforming substantially in shape anddimension to the outer member and secured thereto, the inner memberprojecting above and below the upper and lower edges of the outer member, and the outer member being diametrically proportioned to have afree and easy fit within the usual thumb opening of a bowling ball withits long wall section adapted for frictional engagement under thepressure of the thumb with the wall of said thumb opening.

2. A bowlers protective thumb ring as set forth in claim 1 wherein theshort wall section as the ring is fitted upon the thumb is proportionedto extend beyond the surface of the bowling ball and the upper edges ofthe inner and outer members are shaped to conform to the joint betweenthe thumb and the hand.

3. A bowlers protective thumb ring to fit upon the thumb and comprisingan outer member of generally cylindrical configuration and of stableform having a relatively long semicircular wall section of a length tooverlie the inner side of the thumb for substantially its full lengthand longitudinally curved to conform to the curvature of the thumb and adiametrically opposed semicircular short wall section to overlie theouter side of the thumb above the knuckle and an inner member composedof resilient cushioning material conforming substantially in shape anddimension to the outer member and secured thereto, the outer memberbeing diametrically proportioned to have a free and easy fit within theusual thumb opening of a bowling ball with its long wall section adaptedfor frictional engagement under the pressure of the thumb with the wallof said thumb opening, the inner member bearing upon the back of thethumb direct-. ly above the knuckle to insure that the ring cannot bestripped from the thumb when the ball is released.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS617,929 Fowble Jan. 17, 1899 1,516,385 Keck Nov. 18, 1924 1,755,014Morrison Apr. 15, 1930 2,827,635 Rasmus Mar. 25, 1958 2,903,701 RobinsonSept. 15, 1959

